Promotional marketing emails are annoying but I chose to keep getting them because every once in a while, there are actual exciting offers.
livingsocial.com was offering deals on biplane rides in Atlanta and since I visit there frequently, I had to go for it!
We met at DeKalb–Peachtree Airport (KPDK) and got obligatory pictures with the plane, a New Standard D-25A.
The four passengers sit in rows of two up front and the pilot sits in the very back. I admit I am continually disappointed to be handed earplugs as a passenger (same thing as a float plane charter passenger in Juneau). I know the average passenger doesn’t care to hear aviation radio chatter, but some of us do!
I was expecting the open cockpit to have a very noticeable “wind in my face” effect but I didn’t really notice it at all. The form fitting hat helped of course – there was no hair swirling around my head to evoke feelings of wind.
Atlanta’s capitol building is covered with gold leaf – a throwback to the gold rush in Dahlonega, GA. It wasn’t super sunny out so it took me a while to find the shiny dome. The gold is worn away by rain (a bit of acid rain since it is an urban area) over time and it is resurfaced every so often.
On the way back, we got a nice view of the famous Stone Mountain (sometimes called “the largest exposed piece of granite in the world” – although I’m still looking for a good science reference to that fact).
For landing we were encouraged to lean towards the sides of the plane so the pilot could see where we were going.
Overall, a fun plane ride. Worth it for the experience (although still a wee bit expensive for my taste).
Flying in Fairbanks 
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